1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique to carry out various processes concerned with an online game between a client terminal and an online game server via a communication network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, a type of an online game in which various processes are carried out between a client terminal and an online game server via a communication network to play the online game is spread. In such an online game, in order to prevent bad analysis and modification of various programs and various game data for carrying out the online game, these programs and game data are managed at the online game server side.
However, since communication between the client terminal and the online game server is carried out whenever it is required on progress of the online game, it particularly takes much time to transmit and receive data when processes of the online game server are crowded or a communication environment is not good. This causes progress of the online game to be delayed, whereby the player may be subjected to stress.
Thus, for example, a data processing method, in which at progress of the online game the online game server transmits data on developed portion of the online game to an extent to the client terminal as a whole at start of the online game or appropriate timing in the middle of the online game, whereby an operation with a low degree of importance related to progress of the online game (that is, operation that does not influence progress of a scenario largely) is carried out without communication to cause the online game to progress, has been known (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-198363).
However, in the conventional data processing method described above, there has been a problem that it takes time for processing because access to a server is concentrated once and therefore a communication load is heightened at reading of data on the way of the online game or the like, and it is not enough for the player to reduce his or her stress due to delay of the progress on the way of the online game.